Yonezawa Toys (Y) ca. 1950s Tin Lithographed Friction “Champions Racer” Iconic #98 Indy 500 Racecar *SOLD*

Yonezawa Toys (Y) Tin Lithographed Friction “Champions Racer” Iconic #98 Indy 500 Racecar

We have a late 1950s tin, lithographed, friction “Champions Racer” manufactured by Yonezawa Toys/Y/Yone of Tokyo, Japan in the iconic Indianapolis 500 style of Troy Ruttman’s winning Indy 500 #98 racecar.

The original tires are marked, “Sanyo Toys Co., L.T.D.” The black rubber tires are still intact, but as per usual with toys of this age, they may have petrified, discolored, warped, and/or cracked. The wheels roll as they should and the friction motor works great.

This Indy racer features chrome steering and suspension, full exhaust, radiator with guard, and detailed paintwork. This shows both the Yonezawa (right) and the Tomiyama, E.T. Co. / Eiichiro Tomiyama Co. (left) trademark logos. The right side of the car shows a bit more fading than the other

This piece is in very good all original condition with no breaks, restorations, repairs, or touch-ups. This piece shows the usual patina, fading, dust, chips, scuffs, surface rust, scratches, missing accessories, and wear that is to be expected from age and play. This is approximately 19” L. We invite you to view the photos to further determine quality and condition.

 

 

A brief history of Yonezawa Toys Co. Ltd. (Y) of Tokyo, Japan:   

1946 to 1996

Founder: Unknown

Specialty: Yonezawa Toys is a Japanese toy manufacturer that was established in 1946 in Tokyo, Japan. The company started by producing tin toys and then expanded to plastic and die-cast metal toys. Yonezawa Toys is known for producing high-quality, detailed toys with intricate designs and mechanisms.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Yonezawa Toys produced a wide range of toys, including cars, trucks, robots, space toys, and character toys based on popular TV shows and movies. Some of their most popular toys included the Space Explorer Robot, the Atomic Robot Man, and the Space Patrol Car.

It appears that Yonezawa Toys started to use “Yone” as a brand name in 1964 and S.Y. trademark from 1950-1964. However, it is unclear if this was a formal name change or just a branding decision. Yonezawa Toys continued to produce toys under the Yonezawa name as well.

In the 1970s, Yonezawa Toys began to shift their focus to electronic toys, such as electronic games and robotic toys. They continued to produce toys into the 1980s but faced increasing competition from other toy manufacturers and a changing toy market. At this time Sega entered into a business alliance with Yonezawa Toys in the late 1980s to jointly produce and market toys under the Sega-Yonezawa name. Yonezawa Toys continued to operate independently under the Sega brand until the mid-1990s when it faced financial difficulties and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 1996. Sega abolished the Yonezawa brand in April 1998. Today, Yonezawa Toys are highly sought after by collectors for their high quality and intricate designs.

Other names known as: Yonezawa Toys Co., Ltd., Yonezawa Gangu, Yoneya Toys Co., Ltd., S.Y. Toys Co. Ltd., Yone, S.Y., Y, Sega-Yonezawa, STS.